The mothballed $180 million Kingdom Come film looks set to be revived, even if the Wellington set has long since been demolished, Radio NZ reports.

The film about the life of Jesus was scheduled to be shot in Wellington and other New Zealand locations, including near Oamaru, in 2009 before financial problems forced the production company to abandon the project, owing $5.8 million.

The Waitaki District Council confirmed to Radio NZ that the film makers, South Vineyards, had now started proceedings to revive resource consents to use two film sets already set up near Oamaru.

While big Hollywood names had signed on before the 2008 collapse, it was uncertain how many were still on board.

Producers had said they would visit New Zealand in January.

A film set that was build on Defence Force-owned land on the Miramar peninsula was demolished after the collapse of the film.

The Defence Force pursued the film makers for the cost of the demolition of the Wellington set.

It was later used as a set for Sir Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy.